Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Vitor Roque’s goal earns Athletico-PR a 1-0 win over Corinthians
Vitor Roque’s performance as a striker led Athletico-PR to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Corinthians in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Roque scored in the first half, propelling his team to the win that lifted Athletico-PR from 11th to fifth in the standings, level on points (19) with Flamengo, who occupy the coveted fourth place until Sunday’s match. Meanwhile, Corinthians are in danger of dropping into the relegation zone if Goiás and Cuiabá get positive results in their respective games. Despite creating several chances, Corinthians struggled to penetrate Athletico-PR’s defense. Exceptional saves from goalkeeper Cássio prevented a more significant defeat for the team.
Fluminense secure 2-1 comeback win against Bahia
Fluminense showed resilience and determination to pull off a remarkable comeback and beat Bahia 2-1 on matchday 12 of the Campeonato Brasileiro at the Maracanã. Despite Fluminense’s early dominance and numerous missed chances, Bahia took the lead through Vinicius Mingotti’s goal on a quick counter-attack. The game got worse for Fluminense when defender Nino was shown the red card. However, Fluminense regrouped in the second half and quickly equalized with a header from Lelê. The team then took the lead with a well-taken goal from Gabriel Pirani. Exceptional saves from goalkeeper Fábio preserved Fluminense’s success, as they climbed to third place in the league standings, while Bahia are in 14th position.
Fortaleza beat Atlético-MG 2-1 at home
Fortaleza made the most of home advantage to win 2-1 against Atlético-MG at the Castelão in the 12th round of the Brasileirão. After a goalless first half, Fortaleza came to life in the second half with goals from Tinga and Pochettino. Alan Kardec, who returned to Atlético-MG after an absence of almost 10 months, managed to pull one back for the visitors in the final minutes. The win moved Fortaleza up to fifth place with 20 points, while Atlético-MG dropped to eighth, leaving the G-4. Both teams have games coming up, with Fortaleza facing Palestino in the South American tournament, while Atlético-MG are preparing to face Libertad in the Libertadores.
Cruzeiro beats São Paulo 1-0 in the Brasileirão
Cruzeiro came out victorious against São Paulo at the Independência Stadium, securing a 1-0 win on matchday 12 of the Brasileirão. Portuguese coach Pepa’s side dominated the match from the start, with Rafinha inadvertently scoring an own goal from a cross by Bruno Rodrigues, who incidentally put in an impressive performance, causing problems for the São Paulo defense throughout the first half. Tricolor struggled to react, but had a few chances, most notably a header from Calleri that was brilliantly saved by Rafael Cabral. Despite São Paulo’s intensity in the second half, Cruzeiro held on for a narrow victory, breaking their seven-game winless streak. The win took Cruzeiro to 17 points in the tournament, one point ahead of São Paulo, who have 18.